


It Gets Better

by WolfGangSBD



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Humor, Romance, Slice of Life, alphonse ed and winry make an appearance too!! for some reason, also umi eli and nozomi are part of the residential life staff lol, and for a hot sec ushio from sasameki koto, arise is mentioned and they're like celebrities that are getting bigger by the second, nico is an RA and maki is her resident ;), or more like my shitty attempt at humor lol, prob ooc for some characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 19:02:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14775401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfGangSBD/pseuds/WolfGangSBD
Summary: A few snippets of Nishikino Maki’s college life.





	It Gets Better

“Shut up! I think Nozomi’s the one doing rounds tonight.”

Maki bit back a groan as she was abruptly shoved into Nico’s cold, dark bathroom. She quickly fixed herself and leaned against the door, cursing the fact that she left her phone on Nico’s bed. She could be playing games right now.

“It’s not like they’ll check on you. You’re an RA.” Maki stated in a matter-of-fact tone and she could literally hear Nico roll her eyes.

“Yeah, well, you know tits. She’s always so nosy.” Nico replied blandly. Maki heard her moving some things, which was probably her stuff. She  _ was _ supposed to be getting tutored from her “reliable” RA.

“Whatever.”

As soon as Maki said that, the two heard a playful knock on the door.

“Nicocchi! Open up! RA on duty! If you’re doing something bad, you better stop~” Nozomi teasingly called out from outside Nico’s room. Maki heard Nico groan as she moved to open the door.

“What do you want, tits?”

“Oh, nothing. Just checking up on my sweet, little Nicocchi~”

Maki could already imagine the exchange. Nico glaring up at Nozomi with those (beautiful) piercing red eyes while Nozomi looked down at Nico with that same mysteriously irritating smile.

“You’re so annoying.”

“But you still love me~”

“ _ Sure _ I do. Now leave.”

“Now, now. Why so hasty to make me leave?”

“Because you’re so  _ annoying _ .”

Nozomi laughed at that, and Maki felt her heart drop—it sounded like it was coming from right outside the bathroom door.

“I can’t believe you’d say that Nicocchi, “ Nozomi paused dramatically as Maki felt her lean against the door, “especially after we dated.”

Maki stopped breathing. She never heard anything about this from anyone, and she knew some people who liked to tell her things she wished she never heard. Maki was about to open the door and “politely” ask for some clarification, but Nico beat her to it.

“What the hell are you talking about? We never went out on a date, ever!” Nico yelled as she threw something at her, but Maki felt Nozomi dodge and heard her laugh once again. She felt her weight come off the door and shivered; it was as if someone was watching her.

“Just a little joke to rile my little Nicocchi up.” Nozomi teased lightly and at Nico’s snort, she let out a giggle, “Alright, I guess I should leave soon. I’m not done with my surprise rounds after all.”

“Yeah, go do your job properly, tits.”

“As long as you do yours too~” Maki heard Nozomi respond playfully as she opened the other door and left.

Once she was gone and they were in the clear, Maki opened the door and looked pointedly at Nico, whose face had annoyance written all over it.

“Care to explain?” Maki asked and Nico rolled her eyes.

“Nothing happened between tits and I. Besides, she’s too much like an annoying sister for anything to happen between us.” Nico admitted truthfully as she moved to get on her bed. Maki sighed as she followed her.

“Really?” Maki asked again as she sat down next to Nico. Nico smiled a little and playfully bumped her shoulder.

“Really. Now come on, this movie is really good.”

Maki couldn’t help but smile at how Nico started to rant about it. She loved it whenever she got animated over something, whether it was her love of idols or sweets. Maki moved so she could lay down next to her and softly sighed in content.

How did it come to this? Maki could never really understand it, especially with how awkward they were with each other. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the first day they met. And as the pieces came together, she felt herself drift off into a dream of memories.

* * *

 

It was hot. Unbearably so, Maki thought as she trudged towards her dorms, looking for her building. As soon as she spotted it, she went to the check-in booth nearby.

There was a group of four women. One had long, blonde hair and blue eyes while the other one had her purple hair put up in a side braid. They were talking to each other as they looked through some papers. Maki looked at their nametags, her mind somehow registering their names. She then looked over at the one with the blue hair, reading her nametag as Umi. She was talking to another girl, who had her black hair up in twintails.  Maki raised an eyebrow at that and double checked her outfit, noticing that she was wearing the same uniform as the others. She was a college student? She looked like she was in highschool.

With a sigh, she walked towards the table and cleared her throat. She looked pointedly at Umi but saw Nozomi move from the corner of her eye and signal something to Nico, the one who looked too young to be at college. When she turned to look at her, all she saw were bright red eyes along with a wide (and beautiful) smile.

“Nico Nico Ni!” Nico exclaimed as she had her hands in the air, and it took Maki all of her willpower not to cringe. What the hell did she just do? “My name is Nico, and I’m the greatest RA in this entire school! How are you doing?”

“Good.” Maki replied politely and inwardly cringed. Nico seemed so energetic despite the damn heat.

“That’s good to know! What’s your name?” Nico asked and Maki answered accordingly. She then smiled brightly and continued, “Nice! Looks like you’re in my floor. So what you’re going to have to do is—”

Maki tuned her out. It was way too hot and Nico was way too happy. It was only when she felt her phone vibrate that she snapped back to reality.

“—so here’s your keys. Don’t forget to give me back the room evaluations!”

“Right.” Maki said disinterestedly as she took the envelope and papers and left. She looked at the label and sighed in relief when she saw that she was living on the first floor, but then she was reminded of the unfortunate fact that she was in a triple room.

She frowned at the thought of having to deal with not one, but two people. She was terrible with social interaction, so she hoped that they could all get along.

Maki looked around as she went into the building. She had specifically applied for the suite-styled dorms because she would’ve hated sharing a shower room with others. She’s heard of stories, of how there were people with disgusting habits, and she did  _ not _ want any of that near her. 

Maki went to the correct hall and peered through the glass window to see if anyone was there. Upon seeing nobody, she then unlocked the door and entered, looking around as she did so. She saw chairs and a short table to her right and a sink with a microwave and fridge to her left. Convenient.

She then took a peek down the hall, expecting someone to be there or for one of the doors to be open. When all she heard was silence, she sighed in relief.

Maki walked to her room, which was the last one down the hall, and opened the door only to freeze. There was an orange haired girl giggling softly with a girl with glasses and they broke apart when they heard the door open. The orange haired one smiled widely while the one with glasses became nervous.

“Hello, I’m Rin, nya!” Excited Girl exclaimed.

“A-And I’m Hanayo.” Shy Girl stuttered.

“C’mon Kayo-chin, don’t be nervous. We’ll all be living together for an entire year, nya!” Rin encouraged and Hanayo nodded her head, shooting Maki a shy smile.

“Right.” Maki said, trying to look as friendly as possible. “My name is Maki. Nice to meet you.”

“It’s n-nice to meet you too, Maki.” Hanayo replied and Rin grinned.

“Nice to meet you too, nya!” Rin said and Maki nodded. She went into the room and set her papers down on the nearest desk.

“Which beds will you two want to take?” Maki asked, cutting to the chase. There were two bunk beds with a desk and dresser under one for the person who slept on the bottom bunk. The two top beds each had their own closet, which kind of made up for the fact that one had to climb up a ladder to sleep.

“We’ll be taking the two top ones, nya!” Rin exclaimed and Maki blinked in confusion. Usually the person who came first wanted the bottom because going up and down a ladder would be too much work. “It’s so that Kayo-chin and I can see each other when we’re on the bed, nya! So that way, we don’t have to look down and fall.”

Oh. The two seemed to be good friends, so Maki guessed that it was reasonable. She then took the evaluation paper and quickly understood what she had to do. She looked around the room and wasn’t surprised to see that the two had already moved in; she did come an hour after their specified time period. 

Maki examined the room and checked each box of the evaluation paper off accordingly. When she was done, she waved her goodbyes at the two friends and left.

She went back outside to the check-in stand and gave Nico the evaluation papers. She thought she saw Nozomi hide a smile but shrugged it off. Nico gave her a smile but she didn’t return it; Maki just wasn’t the type of person to smile.

“Nice. So everything’s all set in the room?” Nico asked and Maki nodded.

“Can I get my stuff now?” Maki replied disinterestedly and thought she saw Nico’s eye twitch.

“Of course!” Nico said with a voice that was sugarly sweet, “And don’t forget to come to the mandatory hall meeting at 6:00pm! Otherwise, Nico-Nii will have to write you up!”

It took Maki much strength to keep an impassive face as Nico said her catchphrase. How old was this person?

“Nico Nico Nii! Nico-Nii is the best RA any freshman would have!”

“Right.” Maki said as she coughed uneasily, somewhat annoyed. She was about to turn around and leave, but her curiosity just wouldn’t go away. So, being the polite person she was, Maki asked, “Did you skip a couple grades?”

“What?” Nico asked with obvious confusion.

“Did you skip a couple of grades? In high school?” Maki continued further, thinking to herself that no grown and mature adult would ever do something as...eccentric as Nico’s catchphrase. However, at the sound of Nozomi’s snickers, Maki knew that she messed up. Not soon after Eli and Umi tried to hide their smiles. 

Maki felt embarrassed and lifted her hand up to twirl around her hair; it was a bad habit she had for whenever she got nervous. Judging from the other staff’s reactions, she was definitely wrong about Nico’s age.

“I-It’s just that you look really...young to be an RA.” Maki tried to explain and this time Nico’s eyebrow did twitch.

“I’m a third year and it’s my second time being an RA.” Nico clarified as she (amazingly) kept her smile up.

“Oh. Sorry.” Maki apologized and tried to keep a straight face. “See you later.”

“See you!” Nico replied somewhat enthusiastically and Maki left. She retreated back into her room and sighed, feeling like an idiot. At the sight of her frown, her new roommates asked what happened but she waved them off, claiming it wasn’t important.

They talked and got to know each other (to an extent, because Maki is Maki) for the rest of the time until the mandatory meeting. When it was time to go, they went together and during the meeting, it seemed like Nico was picking on her, calling her out to start whatever icebreaker she wanted everyone to do.

And so, Maki spent her first day on campus feeling attacked by her RA. Well, it wasn’t like she was going to see her often.

Oh, if only Maki knew.

* * *

 

_ A couple of weeks later _

College was fine, if fine meant going to 8am classes three times a week.

Maki let out her nth sigh for the day; she honestly had so much time but her classes actually required for her to study for most of it. And so, she found herself often going to the library. However, whenever she would go, she would always see Nico studying as well, usually at the same table in the same seat. Maki just ignored her and went about her own business. 

Her relationship with Nico seemed to worsen after the mandatory meeting. It was probably because she ran into her often and Nico always said that annoying catchphrase before trying to make small talk. So, Maki would try to be polite, if polite meant being unintentionally rude because of lack of social reaction. Sometimes, Maki would be able to hold a quick conversation with Nico without making her angry, but that rarely happened. So when Maki was curious enough to go to one of her programs, she was genuinely impressed with how hard Nico worked.

“You work hard.” Maki commented as everyone was leaving to their rooms. Nico held a program about finance and budgeting as well as information on nearby jobs and scholarships. It was more fun than Maki thought it would be, considering that there were games and pizza (and Nico, who made things surprisingly interesting, not that Maki would ever admit). Nico blinked at her and gave her a tight smile.

“Well, one has to be, especially when on scholarship.” Nico replied politely and Maki tried not to flinch.

Oh. What she said made it sound like Nico wasn’t the type to work hard in the first place. She started twirling her hair and tried again.

“I-I didn’t mean it in a bad way.” Maki explained and Nico shook her head, smiling as she did so.

“It’s fine, really.”

“So is that why you’re in the library all the time?” Maki asked, trying to change the topic, and Nico raised her eyebrow. Maki blushed and continued, “W-Well, whenever I’m there you are too.”

“Well, Ms. Triple Espresso, I actually only spend about an hour in the library because I have a one hour gap between classes.” Nico said with a smirk and Maki felt her heart stop. Why did she call her by her usual drink at the coffee shop on campus? “Besides, I see  _ you _ all the time at Starbucks.”

“I-It’s because I have a one hour gap during that time as well.” Maki replied as she twirled her hair and Nico laughed. Maki felt her blush darken; it was totally  _ not _ fair that Nico’s laugh sounded so harmonious.

“Right. It seems like our schedules match up,” Nico pointed out and Maki nodded, “so why don’t we hang out with each other then?”

“But aren’t you an RA?” Maki asked, thinking it was weird for an upperclassman to spend time with a underclassman, but Nico just laughed again.

“It’s not like I can’t hang out with my residents—that’s actually part of my job. Besides, I might be able to help you out with some classes or refer you to some friends if I can’t.” Nico replied with a wide grin and then winked at Maki, “And it’s not like I’m asking you out.”

Maki rolled her eyes at that. Go out with her childish and annoying RA? Never.

But she had to admit that Nico worked hard and that she didn’t deserve being ignored. Maki guessed it wouldn’t hurt to accept an invitation every once in a while despite how antisocial she was—she was all books and no fun, Rin would claim.

And so, Maki started hanging out with Nico often. They exchanged numbers and studied together in the library until Nico had to leave for her next class. They got coffee together at Starbucks and Nico talked her ear off until Maki had to leave for her next class. And the more Maki learned about her, the more she started feeling weird whenever she met up with Nico.

She didn’t know why she started feeling nervous around Nico. She didn’t know when her perception of Nico started changing. All she knew was that Nico was an amazing person for being able to be the way that she is, for being able to work hard and send what little money she had to her family despite how expensive college was.

It was halfway through the semester when she was at some school event that she realized what she was feeling.

There was a concert going on and some mainstream artist was playing. Maki would have rather stayed in her room, but Nico had dragged her out because all of her other friends were too busy and she really  _ really _ wanted to see A-Rise. Maki could have cared less, but she went anyways. Rin and Hanayo were going so she might as well. But as they weaved through the crowd, the other two got lost and Maki was stuck with a hyperactive Nico.

“Maki! Look! A-Rise!” Nico shouted excitedly as she jumped with the crowd. Maki rolled her eyes; she wasn’t the only one not jumping so she didn’t feel too out of place.

And so she spent her time looking at her phone while distractedly moving to the beat. That is, until she took one look at Nico.

It was hard to describe. It was like Nico was glowing. She looked so happy and excited and  _ beautiful  _ and just like that, Maki knew.

She knew she was in love. She knew she was in love with Nico and her neverending smiles and her ridiculous jokes and her unwavering determination and her witty sarcasm—she was in love with everything.

“Maki! Jump with me!” Nico yelled and Maki was broken out of her trance. She blushed with embarrassment and Nico just rolled her eyes. “C’mon, you idiot. You don’t have to say any of the lyrics, just jump with me!”

Maki let her insult go because Nico grabbed her hand. She had no choice but to jump with her, but she couldn’t help but smile and laugh because Nico’s excitement was infectious. And when the song changed into one with a slower pace and everyone stopped jumping, Maki couldn’t bring herself to stop staring at Nico.

Nico obviously noticed and when she asked what was wrong, Maki shook her head. When the song changed into a love song, Maki tried to not look at her at all. Their hands were still connected and when she felt Nico squeeze her hand, she turned her head to look at her.

“Are you okay?” Nico asked as she moved closer and Maki gulped.

Nico looked so breathtaking with the way her hair was slightly astray, with the way her outfit made her curves stand out. She still looked so beautiful despite how her makeup was slightly ruined, despite the sweat on her neck. And the way she looked at her with concern just made Maki feel so accepted and loved that she moved in and kissed her.

It was clumsy, especially because it was her first kiss. But to her surprise, Nico kissed her back. She moved one of her hands up to Maki’s neck and angled her face, making the kiss deeper than Maki ever experienced. So when one kiss turned into two, Maki knew she had to stop before they did something they would regret.

“We shouldn’t.” Maki said hesitatingly and Nico’s eyes widened with realization. She looked around and was slightly relieved that people were jumping again—an upbeat song was starting to play. Nico then took Maki’s hand and led them out of the crowd, twisting and turning until she got to an area private enough for them to talk.

“Despite how much of a rude asshole you were to me when we first met,” Nico started seriously and Maki flinched, “I like you.”

Maki blinked at that.

“I know, I know. I’m an RA and I’m not supposed to be dating my residents, but still, I like you. A lot. And I think breaking the rules a bit is worth it.” Nico continued earnestly as she held Maki’s hands. She looked deep into her eyes and continued, “I think you’re worth it.”

Maki blushed as she took in Nico’s words. She thought back to all the times they spent together, all the memories they made. At first, she thought of the times they had petty arguments and how they sometimes  _ barely  _ managed to make peace. But then she thought of all the times they would go out at night to look at the stars in their secret spot. She thought of all the times they hung out at Starbucks or the library and how Maki started looking forward to meeting up with Nico there, knowing that she would have something interesting to say. She thought of how much Nico became a part of her life and knew that there was no one else she could ever get this close to. 

Maki had felt what crushes were like, but whatever she felt for Nico was so much more  _ different _ . Nico vibed with her so well that, despite their rocky start, Maki couldn’t help but fall in love. Everything just seemed to fall in place with her.

“I think you’re worth it too.” Maki replied softly and Nico grinned widely.

“I know.”

Maki just rolled her eyes and leaned in to kiss Nico. Nico happily kissed her back, and it was that night that Maki found out what French kissing was like.

And thus, Maki and Nico’s secret journey started.

* * *

 

_ Present _

Maki groaned as she woke up. Blinking tiredly, she looked over and saw Nico studying at her desk.

“Nice nap, princess?” Nico asked teasingly and Maki rolled her eyes before yawning.

“Yeah.” Maki admitted as she got up. Nico’s bed was so soft and Maki would have loved to sleep over, but she didn’t want Rin and Hanayo to get worried. They would always bombard her with texts every time she wasn’t back at the time she told them she would be.

“I sure hope so. You just  _ had _ to get all touchy feely during the movie even though I told you how much I loved it.” Nico complained and continued with a hurt look, “And no “thank you”? I know my bed feels like heaven and I’m pretty sure you were  _ in  _ heaven just an hour ago, but I get no thanks. Wow, I didn’t know Maki liked to use people.” 

Maki blushed with embarrassment as she threw whatever was closest and small enough at her, which unfortunately was her bra and served only to fuel her embarrassment even more.

“Shut up Nico!” Maki yelled as quietly as she could and Nico just laughed.

“Yeah, yeah whatever. Now go get dressed, I know you need to leave soon.” Nico said as she took the bra off her head and got up, “Let me go get your clothes.”

Maki forgot that she was naked and pulled the sheets up to her body. Even though they’ve seen each other naked many times, she still couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. When Nico gave her the clothes, she put them on quickly, silently thanking Nico for turning around.

“Thanks.” Maki replied as she got off the bed and gave Nico a quick kiss.

“No problem.” Nico said as she smiled brightly at her, “Now go fix yourself in the bathroom. Your hair is a mess.”

“I wonder whose fault that is.” Maki sarcastically asked as she walked to the bathroom. She looked at the mirror and groaned when she saw her reflection. She told Nico that she could leave a hickey in places where it wouldn’t be seen, but she left one just under her collarbone. With the shirt she had, if she moved too much, people would definitely notice.

With a sigh, she opened the bathroom door and glared at Nico.

“What?” Nico asked innocently. Maki just pointedly stared at her and Nico blinked. When she saw Maki’s shirt, her eyes widened in realization and put her hands together apologetically.

“I’m sorry Maki! Really, I am.” Nico apologized with a small pout and Maki rolled her eyes; how could she not forgive her when she looks so cute? “It’s just that, whenever I see you look all hot and bothered I can’t help it.”

Nevermind, Maki thought as she lightly hit a laughing Nico.

“I’m really sorry! Really, I won’t do it again if you want me to.” Nico continued as she caught one of Maki’s hands. Wanting to get back at her, Maki moved closer, pulling Nico towards her and placing her other hand on her waist.

“Really? You’ll stop if I say so?” Maki asked as she leaned in, inwardly smirking when Nico blushed lightly. She found out early in their relationship that even though Nico acted like she didn’t like intimacy, she really did, and whenever Maki would initiate she would get extremely flustered. It was really cute.

“I’m just joking. I don’t mind.” Maki said as she moved away, but not before giving Nico another quick kiss, “I gotta go. I told Rin and Hanayo I would be back at 6.”

“R-Right.” Nico said as she tried to regain her composure. When she did, she continued with a wide grin, “Tell them I said hi!”

“Okay.” Maki replied as she waved goodbye and left the room. She remained indifferent when she saw some people in the main lounge turn to look at her and inwardly sighed; she hated that the RA rooms were located in the main lounge.

“Hey Maki! Tutoring at Nico’s go well?” Alphonse, a blonde transfer student with yellow eyes, asked with a kind smile.

“Yeah.” Maki replied and somewhat smiled back. Alphonse was chill and more of the quiet type, and Maki liked that he didn’t try to pry for more information. They had studied together a couple of times since they shared the same chemistry class and she was grateful that his girlfriend, Mei, didn’t get too jealous over it; she heard that she had quite the right hook despite her size.

“That’s nice to hear.” Edward, Alphonse’s older brother, said with a poorly hidden grin and Winry, his girlfriend who was also blonde, slapped him. Maki had to blink a couple of times because of all the yellow and wondered if they were related to Eli somehow.

“You need to focus on your studies.” Winry strictly said and Edward groaned.

“But Al started the conversation.” He pointed out and Alphonse laughed.

“He’s right, Winry.” Alphonse said and looked towards Maki with an apologetic smile, “Sorry about that. There’s a test coming up and Ed’s being lazy.”

“Am not!” Edward childishly replied and Alphonse just laughed lightly.

“Sure, nii-san.”

“Right. I’m gonna go then.” Maki interrupted before Edward got riled up again and Alphonse nodded with a small, somewhat embarrassed smile.

“Of course! Don’t let us keep you.”

With that, Maki waved her goodbyes and walked over to the door that led to her side of the floor. She passed through and went to her hall door, opening it and politely smiling at Rin and Hanayo. The two were cuddled up next to each other and watching a movie like usual.

“Back from Nico’s?” Hanayo asked and Maki nodded. Gotta try to play it cool, Maki thought. Even though she knew the other two probably knew since Rin would make shitty jokes every now and then, the three roommates had a silent agreement not to talk about it. Nico could get fired after all.

“She says hi, by the way. And I’m pretty sure I got an A on my essay now.” Maki said and Rin grinned widely.

“I’m sure Maki got another type of A—nyaow!” Rin started to whisper to Hanayo but couldn’t continue because she lightly hit her.

“Rin!” Hanayo whispered back and Maki rolled her eyes. She appreciated that Hanayo tried to keep her knowledge of Maki’s relationship with Nico on the DL.

“I’ll be in the room.” Maki said and the other two said their goodbyes. However, when she made a move to leave, she got a text from Honoka.

_ ‘maki! apparently there’s this dope cafe near the school!! nozotitties told me their tomato soup was bomb!!! wanna come with? :D’ - honoka _

Maki blinked at the text and shrugged. She may as well go since it was dinnertime and she liked Kotori’s company. Honoka was fun to be around with as well, but that girl could be way too excited sometimes.

_ ‘sure. are you both going rn?’ - maki _

_ ‘yea!! we’ll meet u at the parking lot :D umi wouldve come as well but she got dinner earlier so she could work on her ra stuffs :( oh!! ask rin and hanayo too if they wanna come!!!’ - honoka _

Maki wasn’t surprised at that. Umi was in charge of the floor above her and she heard that she was a lot more strict than Nico. She also knew that Umi was one of the RAs who usually conducted random hall searches and felt sorry to those whose halls she checked; Umi was a very thorough person who paid attention to all of the rules.

“Do you two want to get dinner with Honoka and Kotori at some cafe they found?” Maki asked the two and Hanayo shook her head.

“We just ate some popcorn and it kind of filled us up so we were thinking of getting dinner later. Maybe next time?” Hanayo replied with an apologetic smile and Rin nodded enthusiastically.

“Next time for sure, nya!”

Maki agreed to having dinner with her roommates for another time and walked back to her room, changing into something more appropriate. She got her wallet and keys before leaving, saying her goodbyes to Rin and Hanayo. She then went to the parking lot Honoka mentioned and wasn’t surprised when said girl pulled up next to her playing pop music.

“Get in loser, we’re going shopping!” Honoka exclaimed jokingly and Maki ignored the looks from the people passing by. Bracing herself for the dramatic change of pace, she breathed in and got into the car, saying her greetings to Kotori. She smiled back in response and Maki somehow felt a bit more relaxed; Kotori seemed to have that effect.

“Alright! Time to get some dope food!” Honoka cheerfully said as she started driving. When a particular song came on, she gasped and yelled, “I love this song!” and proceeded to make the volume higher. At least she had a good singing voice.

Honoka was surprisingly a good driver. It was just that sometimes she loved to play music loud, especially when it came to the songs she loved. It wasn’t too loud to the point where you couldn’t hear anything outside, but it was still pretty loud. But Maki guessed it wasn’t too bad since the songs Honoka played were good and she had the decency to turn the volume down when there was a conversation going.

The three arrived at the cafe briefly and went inside. Maki supposed it was okay, judging from the ambiance and reviews. The three were then directed to a table by pretty waitress named Ushio, who was coincidentally one of Kotori’s friends. The two talked about clothes and their stubborn girlfriends for a moment before Ushio handed out the menus, helping the three out with what choices were popular or good. So, Maki ordered the tomato soup and spaghetti while Honoka ordered cutlet, which came with rice, and a lot of garlic bread. Kotori got fish and chips along with a salad.

“So!” Honoka started with a wide grin after they ordered and Maki and Kotori looked at her curiously. Honoka just kept her grin up as she told Maki, “Rin told me what your favorite elements were.”

Maki blinked in confusion, wondering what in the world Honoka was talking about. With that in mind, she responded, “I don’t have a—”

“Nickel and Cobalt!” Honoka interrupted before laughing loudly. 

Maki blushed at Honoka’s shitty joke while Kotori just giggled. Some people turned around curiously because of Honoka’s boisterous laughter, prompting her to laugh quieter.

“I’m surprised you were able to even remember that.” Maki retorted back and Honoka sighed, somewhat exhausted from laughing too much.

“Nah, it isn’t hard to remember things when it comes to embarrassing you.” Honoka admitted with a shit-eating grin and Maki rolled her eyes, “Alright, alright. I’ll lay off the shitty jokes.”

At least she admitted they were shitty jokes, Maki thought as she looked at Kotori, who was just smiling mysteriously. Weird, but then again, not unusual when it came to Kotori. Umi claimed she picked it up from Nozomi and to be honest, Maki believed it—those two always seemed like they knew something you didn’t.

“So how have the two of you been?” Maki asked since she hadn’t seen the two for a couple of days and Honoka beamed at the chance of talking about an exciting story. Maki loved listening to her stories because they were usually entertaining, but she’d never admit it out loud.

“It was great! I met up with Tuba earlier for lunch and ohmygod—she’s just so incredible and I just love her so much! I’m so lucky to be her girlfriend!! I still can’t believe it sometimes.” Honoka started to rant but caught herself, knowing that she could get too much when it came to talking about Tsubasa, her girlfriend. Maki still couldn’t believe that she allowed Honoka to call her “Tuba”, but she did call Honoka “Honks”, so she guessed that she shouldn’t be too surprised. It was actually kind of cute how their weirdness matched each others. “And then in Chika-sensei’s music lecture, she went over modern music and played A-Rise’s new album! It was so fun!! She let me dance along with the music video! And she was dancing with me too!! Chika-sensei is so cool.” 

Maki always thought it was weird that a professor was really in touch with modern trends and fashion, but she guessed it was better than listening to some old person drone on about whatever. That, and it wasn’t surprising that it was Chika-sensei—she was one of the youngest professors around in their university. Their university was well known for having relatively young professors, which was odd, but it had its pros and cons.

“Really? Nothing fun happen in Hanamaru-sensei’s history lecture today?” Kotori asked curiously and Honoka shook her head with a pout.

“Nah, Hanamaru-sensei just had us read about boring things. But she said that next lecture’s content will be a bit more exciting!” Honoka replied enthusiastically and Maki hummed in acknowledgement. Honoka usually ditched class, but if she actually went then that meant her professors were either interesting or fun.

“Well nothing much happened today for me. You-sensei gave me back some feedback on my last art project and I spent time with Umi before she went off for class.” Kotori said with a small smile and then looked at Maki, “I’ve missed you though, Maki! I haven’t seen you for a couple of days. How have you been?”

Maki blushed a bit at the attention and responded, “I’ve been okay. I’m getting better grades on my essays now that I have Nico check over them and give me feedback.”

“But we all know Nico’s been checking over something else, am I right?” Honoka teased with a wink and Maki groaned, “I’m sorry! I couldn’t help it, hehe.”

“Nothing’s happening between us.” Maki argued as her face became redder by the second and Honoka rolled her eyes. Despite this, Maki tried to play it cool and claimed, “Really, there’s nothing between us. We just vibe really well.”

“Sure.” Honoka replied sarcastically and turned to Kotori for help, but she was busy in her own world.

“Checking over? Ah! I can’t believe I never thought of a tutor and tutee setting. What about vibing? Maybe a musicial setting…” Kotori mumbled distractedly as she took out a notepad and started writing something, making Maki look at her weirdly. Honoka just giggled and left Kotori to do her thing.

“What?” Maki asked, baffled, and Kotori just shook her head, smiling sweetly as she put the notepad away.

“Just ideas for my next work.” Kotori said cheerfully and Maki let it go, not knowing what to think. As long as it inspired Kotori, she guessed. That girl had a natural talent for design after all.

“Right.” Maki said as she coughed uneasily, thinking of a topic she could change it to. “So who showed you guys this place again?”

“Nozomi did! Apparently she and Eli tried this place out last week and told us it was good.” Honoka answered and Kotori nodded.

“She said the cheesecakes here are good as well.” Kotori said with a dreamy face and Maki let out a small laugh. The only thing Kotori loved other than Umi and designing were cheesecakes.

“Speaking of which, here comes the food!” Honoka pointed out as Ushio brought the food to their table.

“Here you all go. I hope you all enjoy your meal!” Ushio exclaimed and before she left, she said to Kotori, “We should definitely go shopping together one time! Sumiko thinks she can’t wear girly clothes, but if you come along I’m sure she’ll see her potential!”

“Of course! Text me when you’re free and I’ll bring Umi so it can be a double date.” Kotori replied with a smile, waving goodbye as Ushio left to attend to another table.

“I didn’t know you and Ushio knew each other that well.” Honoka commented as she munched on a piece of bread.

“We both just share some common interests.” Kotori replied with a mysterious smile and Maki felt like she shouldn’t ask. “What about you, Maki? Meet anyone interesting so far this semester?”

Maki shrugged and tried to act indifferent as she ate her soup. She was sure the two were probably gonna try to make a joke about her and Nico again. But Honoka was right; their tomato soup was really good. She made a mental note to remember the name of the place.

“No one from your classes then?” Honoka asked and Maki shook her head. Since she was focused on getting straight A’s, she wasn’t really interested with talking to others unless it was for academics. It was only when people like Nico, Honoka, and Rin forced their way into her life and introduced her to other people that Maki was able to make friends that weren’t purely for educational reasons.

It sounded bad that Maki didn’t really want to make friends, but she was really driven to do her absolute best in college—and she felt like other people would distract her from that. But as she met different people, her perspective started to change and she soon realized that people weren’t invincible and needed to take breaks. For some, breaks meant parties but for people like her, breaks meant good old fashioned hangouts with friends.

“That’s weird. There’s usually that one odd person in each class.” Kotori commented and Honoka nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah! Yeah! Sometimes it’ll be that one person watching weird videos during lecture. Other times it can be that one kid who walks in with their weirdly customized skateboard. Or that one person who goes to class only to go straight to sleep. ” Honoka agreed as she started to list off some examples before blinking with realization, “Oh wait, that’s me.”

Maki and Kotori let out a giggle, prompting Honoka to laugh along as well. She then looked at Maki curiously and continued, “Nothing like that?”

“I usually sit near the front during lecture and when lecture starts, I don’t really pay attention to the others. Well, I do talk to Alphonse and some others who have the same class as me.” Maki replied as she tried to recall what she usually did during lecture and Honoka giggled.

“That’s just like you to do that.” Honoka stated with a grin and Maki rolled her eyes, “But when lecture’s done, aren’t you able to see everyone else trying to leave lecture? You don’t see anything interesting then?”

Maki hummed in thought as she tried to think back and shrugged, “I don’t think so. I usually plug in my headphones and get lost in my own world. That way, people don’t bother me about clubs and sororities. I don’t really have time for extracurricular activities.”

“That’s true. And you want to go to med school, right? That means you have to keep your GPA up. I know you can do it though!” Kotori agreed and showed her support for Maki by shooting her a sweet smile. “Speaking of which, did you know that the garden is a nice place to study?”

Maki didn’t know that because she hadn’t explored much of the campus yet since it was really big and was about to ask Kotori about it when Honoka interrupted.

“Oh no. Please don’t go there because Nozomi and Eli go there all the time and I’m pretty sure those plants don’t need to be watered anymore.” Honoka said with a cringe and Maki choked on her spaghetti; she did  _ not _ need to hear that.

“What about the fourth floor of the East library? I heard there’s private rooms for studying.” Kotori suggested and Honoka shook her head.

“Haven’t you heard? Apparently there’s a serial masturbater and they haven’t caught him. Some people be nasty.” Honoka replied as she shivered and Maki sighed. Honoka knew a lot of things. Unfortunately, she didn’t mind talking about these things. 

“Okay, scratch off studying off the list.” Kotori murmured and the two looked at her curiously. Kotori just shook her head and continued with a smile, “Maki-chan, can I ask you for a favor?”

“Um, if I can do it, then okay.” Maki continued and Kotori beamed. It took Maki a surprising amount of willpower not to comment about how cute Kotori was. Now she understood why Umi couldn’t say no to Kotori.

“Thanks! I need a person to try my designs and I think you’re the perfect fit. The people I usually ask are busy.” Kotori explained with an apologetic smile and Maki nodded, thinking that it couldn’t be that bad. The two then made plans on where and when they wanted to meet up.

After that, the three continued to talk about what was happening in school. There was some interesting gossip about some professors and what their friends were up to, and once again Maki wished she never heard about some of it. When they were done with their food, they split the check and left. Maki waved her goodbyes to Honoka and Kotori once they dropped her off and started to head back to her dorm.

When she got there, Rin and Hanayo were still cuddled up and watching a movie. However, Rin was quietly sleeping, and Hanayo gave Maki a small smile when they made eye contact. She put her finger up to her lips to signal Maki to be quiet and Maki nodded. She left to their room and quietly closed the door. When she saw the time on her clock, she cursed silently and moved to get her backpack and put in some notebooks; she was going to be late for her weekly study group with Umi and Eli.

She opened the door and closed it behind her, making sure to be quiet. She silently waved goodbye to Hanayo, who was still holding a sleeping Rin, and left. She quickly walked up the stairs and went to the second floor’s main lounge because Umi’s room was there. She knocked on the door when she got there and smiled slightly when Umi opened it.

“Hey Maki. A bit later than usual.” Umi commented with an easy smile as she gave Maki a small hug.

“Dinner with Honoka and Kotori was a bit longer than I thought it would be.” Maki said truthfully and Eli laughed from her position at Umi’s desk. Maki looked over and saw that the two had set up and started already.

“Why am I not surprised?” Eli asked rhetorically and the other two laughed along with her. Umi ushered Maki in and she pointed towards the desk that was next to hers, telling her that she could set up there.

“So what are you studying tonight?” Umi asked as she went back to work and Maki took out her notebooks.

“Calculus for life sciences.” Maki answered and Eli hummed in acknowledgement.

“I took calculus already so if you need any help, just ask. I might be able to help even though your class is for life sciences.” Eli brought up as she continued to write something and Maki nodded. 

“What are you two doing?” Maki asked and the two looked up at the same time, making it hard for Maki to not giggle; the two were surprisingly similar.

“Writing an essay for english.” Umi answered briefly before getting back to work.

“Planning the events for next semester.” Eli replied and immediately started writing after. She was one of the program coordinators for the dorms after all.

Maki smiled at that and sat down next to Eli before starting on her own work. She liked studying like this, where people didn’t really talk unless someone asked them for help. So, the comfortable silence continued on for a while, and Umi’s room was peacefully quiet save for the occasional moment where Maki asked a question, Umi asked for feedback, and Eli asked for ideas. The three did talk about non-academic topics though—it wasn’t as if they were friends purely because of academics. It was how Maki found out that she had a lot in common with the two and started their weekly outings as well. If someone told her during the first week of school that she would be bowling or singing karaoke with Eli and Umi, who were the more serious residence hall staff members, she would’ve looked at them like they were crazy.

“So how’s Nico?” Eli asked Maki after a moment of silence and Maki almost choked on her own spit.

“Uh, good I guess? I don’t know.” Maki replied, trying to be indifferent. She thought she heard Eli snort, but thought it was her own imagination. “I feel like you guys see her more than me. You three do work together.”

“That’s true, but the two of you hang out more. We usually talk about work, so we don’t get to talk about other things.” Eli replied truthfully and Maki nodded in understanding.

“She’s good. Just complaining about her classes like usual.” Maki said and Eli actually snorted at that. Maki felt the led break on her pencil—she couldn’t believe her ears. Eli wasn’t the type to snort at things.

“Not surprised at that.” Eli said and Umi agreed.

“The two of you have become good friends.” Umi commented as she stopped typing to look at Maki and Maki coughed uneasily.

“Um, yeah. Our schedules coincidentally matched up this semester so yeah.” Maki responded stiffly and Eli laughed, moving in to block Maki from Umi’s view.

“No need to be super uptight about it, Maki. People can be friends.” Eli said as she playfully nudged Maki’s shoulder, “I mean, hey. We’re friends.”

“That’s true.” Umi acknowledged and Eli moved away from Maki, who was still a bit stiff. “Since we’re all adults, we can make our own decisions.”

Maki silently sighed in relief. She didn’t know how Umi felt about her relationship with Nico, but she always thought that she didn’t mind as long as they weren’t caught. However, Umi basically showed her support for their relationship and Maki was glad—she looked up to her after all.

Maki also already knew Eli didn’t mind because of how she acted about it. If anything, she was an avid, yet annoying supporter. Kinda like a more chill version of Honoka.

“Anyways Tsubasa’s holding a kickback at her apartment later tonight. Would you want to go?” Eli brought up and Maki paused to consider.

“Who’s coming?” Maki asked, although she already knew that she wouldn’t be able to make it.

“Me, Nozomi, Umi, Kotori, Honoka, Tsubasa, Anju, and Erena. I think Honoka texted Rin and Hanayo about it but she hasn’t gotten back to me about their response yet.” Eli answered and further explained, “Tsubasa, Anju, and Erena want to celebrate their latest album so we’re taking out the wine and champagne.”

“I’m staying sober and making sure people get home safely.” Umi commented seriously and Eli laughed lightly.

“It’s a kickback, Umi. It’s not like we’ll be taking shots or anything.” Eli teased as she playfully nudged Umi, who rolled her eyes.

“Last time was a kickback. Last time included shots. And last time you and Honoka were too drunk to drive back. Even Kotori and Nozomi were more intoxicated than usual. It’s a good thing Erena doesn’t drink.” Umi replied as she continued typing away, but Eli just laughed again. Maki remembered that time—they threw a kickback for when they watched some basketball game.

“That was because our basketball team was going against our rivals and when they won, we  _ had  _ to upgrade to shots.” Eli explained as she lightheartedly nudged Umi, who just sighed. “It was a celebration, Umi! A time of joy and happiness.”

“I mean, I guess.” Umi replied disinterestedly at Eli’s terrible attempt to reason with her and looked at Maki, “Are you going?”

“I’ve got a couple readings I need to do for English. Sorry.” Maki said with a somewhat apologetic smile and Eli and Umi nodded with understanding; they both knew “readings” meant “Nico”.

“It’s alright.” Eli responded with a reassuring smile. “We all got some things we need to do.”

“Unfortunately for someone, one of of those things is a short crimson eyed devil.” Umi muttered under her breath and Maki couldn’t believe her ears—Umi was badmouthing someone!

“Now, now. You’re still mad at Nico for eating your sandwich?” Eli asked as she comforted an upset Umi. Maki just blinked with disbelief; she’d never thought she’d live to see the day that Umi would make a sexual joke.

“Kotori made it for me.” Umi said with a small frown, making Eli laugh lightly. “Why are you laughing? Her sandwiches are amazing!”

“Nothing. It’s just rare to see you like this.” Eli replied as she playfully ruffled Umi’s hair before turning to Maki with amused eyes, “Right, Maki?”

“Y-Yeah.” Maki said as she looked at her two upperclassmen before her. It was weird seeing them so lighthearted and somewhat childish, but Maki guessed that it was only because she was used to seeing them in their serious work mode. They did technically work for the school, so they had to be responsible as well as be a good role model for other students. 

“Anyways, if you ever need help with anything, feel free to contact any of us.” Umi spoke up as she fixed her hair, glaring at Eli in the process. Eli just waved her off with a carefree smile, going back to her own work.

“And if you or the other first years have any ideas on what programs we could put on, hit me up.” Eli added and Maki nodded, giving the two a small smile.

“Of course.”

“Alright.” Eli said as she smiled, but then her smile turned into a frown as she remembered something. She turned to look at Maki, putting a hand on her shoulder as she said, “But I did hear something about a guy who wouldn’t leave you alone. You know you can always talk to us about any...problems, right?”

Maki gulped when she saw Umi’s head whip towards her direction. If she had gone just a bit faster, she could've sworn she would've broken her neck.

“What’s this about a guy bothering Maki?” Umi asked threateningly and Eli shrugged.

“I don’t know. I heard it from Honoka.”

“Honoka? Her information isn’t the most reliable.”

“If it deals with our friends, then I won’t take any chances.”

At that, Maki’s heart kind of just melted. She grew up alone with no one to spend time with her except for the occasional maid and her mother—if her mother wasn’t busy that is. Since she was rich, the others at school would either avoid her or try to get close to her so they could benefit themselves. 

Thus, Maki went through life with little to no friends, but once she came to college, she met so many different kinds of people. She met people like Nico, who taught her how to love. She met people like Eli and Umi, who cared for her like the big sisters that Maki never had. She met people like Nozomi, who gave her both advice and a reality check when she needed it the most. She met people like Honoka and Rin, who introduced her to others and made her life so much more exciting. She met people like Hanayo and Kotori, who were good, wholesome, and ridiculously supportive friends that were able to calm her down in some weird, mysterious way.

“There’s—” Maki started but couldn’t finish because her voice got caught up in her throat. The realization of just how much everyone cared for her never really hit her until then, and it was a lot to process. But when she was able to compose herself, she saw Eli and Umi’s worried eyes and couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with warmth again.

“Maki, are you okay?” Eli asked with obvious concern and Umi’s eyes squinted into a glare.

“There’s no one bothering you, right? If there is, tell me so I know who to shoot.” Umi said as she made a move to get up and reach for her bow, which was hung up on the wall. Maki felt bad for the nonexistent person who was supposedly bothering her; Umi was well-known for her excellent marksmanship skills. Apparently she got a scholarship for archery, but her true passion was in writing so she turned it down.

“There’s no one bothering me.” Maki responded truthfully when she saw Umi about to get up, “There’s no need to overreact even if there was. I can take care of myself.”

“We know, but that doesn’t make us feel any less pissed.” Eli replied as she sighed with relief. She then playfully nudged Umi on the shoulder and said,  “Well, looks like you don’t have to shoot anyone after all, Umi.”

“Good. I told you Honoka’s information is unreliable.” Umi responded with a small frown and Eli rolled her eyes.

“And like I said, I’d rather not take any chances when it comes to our friends.” 

“I—” Maki started, her voice full with emotion. She felt like she had to tell the two how much she appreciated the fact that they cared for her. The two looked at her curiously, so Maki started to twirl her hair, “Thank you. The two of you. Really, thank you.”

“Aw, is our little Maki embarrassed right now?” Eli teased as she put her arm around Maki’s shoulder and ruffled her hair.

“I think she is.” Umi agreed with an amused hum and Maki just blushed even more. She lightly pushed a laughing Eli away, fixing her hair as she did so.

“Seriously. I just wanted to say, that, well,” Maki continued even though her face felt like it was burning, “the two of you are like the older sisters I’ve never had. Thank you for that.”

Eli and Umi froze for a moment. Maki could’ve sworn that their expressions became softer, and she felt engulfed with warmth once again. She wondered if this is what it felt like to have a sibling that unconditionally cared.

“Of course. We’ll always be here for you.” Eli said softly with a small smile and Umi nodded with agreement.

“And you’re like our sister as well. You’re family, Maki.” Umi continued with a rare smile, “Don’t forget that.”

“And you’ve got everyone else to go to if, for some reason, the two of us aren’t available.” Eli reminded and Maki was flooded with emotions she could barely understand.

“I—” Maki started, but for the third time, she had to take a moment before speaking. With a smile, she continued, “Thank you.”

“Always.” Eli responded warmly before grinning widely, “But since you’re such good  _ friends _ with Nico, it’s my responsibility as Nico’s best friend to make sure that you’ll stay good  _ friends _ with her.”

Maki blushed as Umi laughed a little. Without looking away from her keyboard, Umi said,  “I’m sure you know what that means.”

Maki heard some stories about how Eli could get a bit overprotective, especially back in the day when she wasn’t an RA. Apparently, if her glare wasn’t enough, then she would directly confront them. Sometimes, they understood quickly. Other times, they would realize too late what their mistake was. Eli never hurt anyone though—she would just punch the wall and crack it or break something to show what she  _ could _ do, which always worked. Despite this, Maki never thought that she would be on the other end of the stick.

“That’s right. It doesn’t matter if you’re my sister—Nico’s a good friend of mine. Anyone who hurts her deals with me.” Eli continued with a serious look before bumping shoulders with Maki, her face softening in the process. “But then again, that applies to you as well. The two of you are both important to me.”

“Not as important as Nozomi, though.” Umi commented offhandedly and Eli blushed lightly.

“I—what? No. Everyone is equally important.” Eli replied as she tried to seem indifferent and Umi rolled her eyes. “There is no favoritism allowed in this household.”

“You can’t expect us to believe that.” Umi responded as she turned away from her work to look at Maki, “Right, Maki?”

“Hey, you know I don’t play favorites, right?” Eli said as she also looked at Maki pleadingly. Maki just started to giggle at their antics, finding it kind of hard to believe that they would be arguing about this topic at all.

“Well, Eli does seem to favor Nozomi a lot,” Maki answered with a small smile as Eli groaned. Umi grinned victoriously, but then Maki continued, “but Umi also can’t say no to Kotori. So the two of you are equally as bad.”

At her response, the two tried to fight her claims but ultimately failed. They tried to turn it around on Maki by talking about Nico, but at that point, they forgot why they were arguing in the first place and laughed it off. After that, they started another conversation about paintball, which was something they were all interested in. They started to make plans to play with their group of friends after finals before ending the study group since it was getting a bit late.

And so, Maki left Umi’s room feeling ridiculously happy at the fact that she gained not only two sisters, but an entire family who supported and accepted her. It wasn’t like her own parents loved her—they did, but if they knew that she was into girls and wasn’t all too passionate about being a doctor, then problems would definitely arise.

Still, that didn’t stop Maki from sneaking into Nico’s room with the illegally made spare she gave her. It didn’t stop her from texting Rin and Hanayo that she would be sleeping over at a friend’s room. It didn’t stop her from waiting until Nico was done with work before proceeding to slam her against the wall and start making out with her. And it definitely didn’t stop her from spending the night with the person she loved.

And as Maki started to drift into the land of dreams with Nico in her arms, she couldn’t help but feel as if life at college, despite how stressful and tedious it was, just got a whole lot better.

* * *

 

Omake

_ A couple of weeks later _

“Hey Nico?” Maki asked after a moment of silence as she laid in bed with her girlfriend. It was just their usual Tuesday night routine when both Maki and Nico didn’t have many classes so they spent time together in Nico’s room.

“Yeah?” Nico responded as she cuddled up to Maki, who moved so she could face her.

“Why did you always do that catchphrase whenever you saw me last semester?” Maki continued curiously and bit back a laugh when Nico pouted, groaned, and turned around all in one movement.

“...because I lost a dare to tits.” Nico grumbled, and this time Maki actually did laugh.

“So that ridiculously exuberant catchphrase was because she made you do it?” Maki restated amusedly, and Nico turned around to face her, rolling her eyes at her before burrowing her face into her chest, which was something Nico liked to do often.

“Well, not really. I used to do that to my siblings whenever they were feeling down. She dared me to amp it up. A lot.” Nico explained, although her voice was muffled. Maki hummed with amusement at her antics and lightly kissed the top of her head.

“I noticed when I came over for Christmas. And I’m glad you stopped doing that...annoying version.” Maki commented and Nico pulled her face back, a wide grin present on her face. Maki bit back a groan, knowing exactly what was going to happen.

“Aw, really? But you  _ know _ that Nico-Nii is the best RA ever.” Nico started with an annoyingly sweet tone and Maki moved away from her as much as she could, which was unfortunately not much.

“No, Nico, stop I swear—” Maki said but was interrupted by her now rambunctious girlfriend.

“Nico Nico Nii! Nico-Nii is the best RA in the universe—”

“—ugh, stop—”

“—and the evidence is right here.” Nico said with a sly grin as she pointed at something on Maki’s body. 

“...what?” Maki asked with obvious confusion, so Nico continued, her grin getting even more smug by the second.

“And here, and here, and here—” Nico stated as she pointed at various hickeys on Maki’s body, making the redhead blush madly.

“—you’re stupid!” Maki exclaimed childishly as she lightly pushed Nico away and turned around to face the wall, making Nico laugh.

“But you’re the one who likes it whenever I leave hickies.” Nico teased as she poked Maki’s back and Maki stubbornly refused to turn around.

“S-Shut up!”

“Seriously speaking, though, I think I’m a pretty good RA.” Nico commented and at that, Maki peeked over her shoulder. When she saw the smug smile still planted on her face, she just rolled her eyes and kept her back faced towards Nico.

“Filled with arrogance like usual.” Maki stated and felt Nico’s warm breath behind her.

“C’mon, you know you love it.” Nico said as she wrapped an arm around her hips and Maki rolled her eyes again, turning around in the process.

“Well duh, I love you.” Maki said offhandedly, making Nico freeze.

“...you what?” Nico asked and Maki started blushing, realizing what she just said. 

“I-uh, wait I—” Maki tried to explain but Nico just grinned widely.

“—aw, is my little Maki embarrassed?” Nico teased and Maki turned around again.

“S-Shut up!”

“I’m just joking! Besides, I love you too, you dummy.” Nico said as she attempted to turn Maki around. Once she said those words, Maki peeked over her shoulder again.

“...really?” Maki asked softly and Nico smiled gently.

“Really.”

“Really really?” Maki asked again as she moved to face Nico, who just rolled her eyes playfully.

“Really really, dummy.” Nico reassured playfully as she moved in to give Maki a kiss.

Life could honestly not get any better than this, Maki thought as she rolled on top of Nico, initiating another makeout session in the process. College was difficult, nerve-wracking, and ridiculously stressful, but being with Nico and having all of her friends support her made everything worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> i cant believe it's done after like half a year lol, feel like it could be written better tho  
> i might expand on this idea like maybe focus on the other girls but idk yet bc writers block is still on my ass :') it was through odd moments of inspiration that i was able to finish this lmao  
> hope y'all enjoyed this tho!!


End file.
